Local Photos and Things That are Bad

Long time, no post.  My tendency towards procrastination is getting worse.  That's going to have to stop soon, because it will be time to pack and load the wagons for points south.  At least I will have something new to take pictures of.  Even I am getting bored with pictures of the rock. 

We've walked up the big hill a couple of times.  The weather has not been spectacular as of late, and between that and killing things in the yard there has been less riding.  We're going to have to buck up and realize that summer is on the wane and dress more warmly.  Here is said rock at the top of the hill.

We saw this deer a few times.  She would look at us for awhile, and then run ahead, then we'd see her again.  She has sort of a come hither look.

This is a younger deer in someone's yard.  Mom is in there but you can't see her because of the grape vine.

We were up there today and saw this addition to the woods.  It's a sea monster, I think it's made from vines.

Jim got a new compressor.  We have a tire that we thought had a slow leak.  Les Schwab says it doesn't, so I do not know why it keeps losing air.  Anyway, now there is a very manly way to inflate the tires.  Note the ear defenders, the thing is amazingly loud.

There was a gorgeous sunset the other night.  It was very close to being Tucson quality gaudy.

Rolling Stone has put up an excellent article on the lack of water in the west.  It's from a new book called River Notes.  It's very interesting and well worth reading.  Below is a paragraph that was particularly horrifying.

The future unfortunately is now. The entire story of the Grand Canyon is one of wind, water, silt, and sand. Since the Glen Canyon Dam went up sixty years ago, the equivalent of sixty-one supersized Mississippi River barge-loads of sand and mud have been deposited in Lake Powell every day. The total accumulation would bury the length of Manhattan to a depth of 126 feet — close to the height of a twelve-storey building. As the reservoir has shrunk, this silt, exposed to the sun, has formed what can best be described as mud glaciers. As lake levels fall, a gradient is formed, down which these massive sediment accretions are moving at a rate of a hundred feet or more per day toward the dam. Should they reach and plug the dam, threatening the integrity of the structure, the only option would be to bore tunnels at the base of the dam, allowing the sediments to pass, while killing for good the reservoir. “That natural sediment load,” notes Jack Schmidt, director of the Center for Colorado River Studies at Utah State University, “cannot be blocked from the sea forever.”

If they lose the reservoir, they can't generate electricity.  So, that's it then, the SW is going to die.  It continues to amaze me that so much manufacturing that requires water is being built in AZ.  The Saudis continue to grow alfalfa and pump ground water with wild abandon to do so. 

In other news, I believe Dr. Fauci has taken leave of his senses.  During the administration of the orange ectoplasm, Fauci was the voice of reason.  This has changed as of late.  In an interview with the BBC he said the following:"Even though you'll find the vulnerable will will fall by the wayside, they'll get infected, they'll get hospitalized, and some will die. It's not going to be this tsunami of cases that we've seen."  So, I guess it's ok if the vulnerable die.  If you want to watch the interview, it's on twitter here.  Later he was on CNN (also known as Fox-lite) and the talking head was discussing the Cochrane study that said masking did not work.  That study has been debunked from all corners of the scientific community, but Fauci just sat there and let him say it.

I am presently confounded by the Biden administration's approach to the current Covid surge.  The CDC continues to advocate for hand washing, but there is no mention what so ever about masking or clean air.  Waste water studies are showing it's on the rise, but no one seems to be taking it seriously or suggesting any kind of mitigation strategy.  Most likely there will be no real action taken until after the 2024 election.

For all of you punctuation people, and you know who you are, there is this.

That's it, that's all I've got.